Introduction To Treatment | Teal
Once the proper Stage of Blue is assigned, the different treatments appropriate for that Stage can be considered and compared. In the prostate cancer treatment realm, decisions are usually based on comparisons among several alternatives. In the most general sense, there are four main types of treatment: observation, local treatments, systemic treatments, and combination therapy.
Observation
Observation, commonly known as “active surveillance,” is the process of monitoring the cancer while reserving medical intervention until some aggressive behavior is detected.
Local Treatments
Strategies that focus on treating the prostate gland are called “local” treatments. Examples are surgery, radioactive seed implantation, varieties of external beam radiation therapy (IMRT, Proton, SBRT ), and cryosurgery. In addition, “focal” treatment options have been developed in which only a subsection of the gland is treated.
Systemic Treatments
The main danger from prostate cancer is the possibility of cancer spreading outside the prostate. Men with metastases (or potential microscopic metastases) require systemic treatment that circulates through the blood and treats cancer throughout the whole body. Examples of systemic treatments are hormonal therapies, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and systemic targeted radiation.
Combination Therapy
When a local treatment is combined with a systemic treatment, or if multiple systemic treatments are used at the same time, it is called “combination therapy.” As is the case when contemplating any form of treatment, when combination therapy is being considered, the purported survival advantages need to be balanced against the impact on quality of life.
Mark Scholz, MD is the Executive Director of the Prostate Cancer Research Institute. He is also the Medical Director of Prostate Oncology Specialists Inc. He received his medical degree from Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Dr. Scholz completed his Internal Medicine internship and Medical Oncology fellowship at University of Southern California Medical Center. He is co-author of Invasion of the Prostate Snatchers. He has authored over 20 scientific publications related to the treatment of prostate cancer.